Valerie
by Ninja-on-the-run
Summary: Seven year old Valerie Frost lived the best life. She had a loving mother and father and went to a normal school like a regular child. All seems to be going well until tragedy strikes and a revelation is told; her entire life had been a lie. Not only that... everything she knew was about to change. Clintasha. Starts before the Avengers. Rated T for violence in later chapters.
1. Prologue

**A/N: hey y'all~ I'm Ninja-on-the-run. Some of you may know me, some of you may not. I'm a writer from the Anime side of town. :3 this is my first ever The Avengers fic. I've been lurking in this fandom for a ( really really long) while. This fic is inspired by Mei-Chan4's fic in the Anime/Manga area of FanFic town. (See what I did there? ;)**

**Yes, the title is inspired after the Zutons song and Amy Winehouse's cover. :) But mostly the Zutons.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers. *sobs in corner* If I did, Captain America... Heheheheheh... -Loki smirk-  
Claimer: Only own my OCs.  
**

**Notes: I think Natasha and Clint are a little OOC. Clintasha all the way baby. ;) This starts about six years before the Avengers.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Chapter One: Prologue

* * *

She didn't want to do this.

"Nat."

Not at all.

"Natasha, I know, you don't want to do this," Clint Barton sighed and touched Natasha Romanoff's arm.

Not even the slightest bit...

"Clint, giving up Valerie to someone else is something I don't want to do," said Natasha, refusing to look at Clint.

"I feel the exact same way. But it's for the best," he replied.

"The best?" asked Natasha.

"Do you want Valerie to be in risk from being found by enemies for the rest of her life?" asked Clint.

Natasha looked down. He did have a point there...

Natasha and Clint were A ranked SHIELD agents. They were a deadly duo envied by many and wanted dead by more. They had the right kind of chemistry to form their unique bond and friendship. Natasha and Clint knew each other like the back of their hand. She knew his secrets and he knew hers...For the most part.

Years in the business of being agents, none of them thought that they would ever in their lifetime become parents.

"Nat," Clint looked at Natasha, using his pet name for her. "I don't want to do this either. Do yo you have any idea how much it hurts as a father to do this?" asked Clint. He put his hand on her shoulder. "It's for the best, Nat. I trust Jessica and she'll take really good care of her," he assured.

"Clint..." Natasha held the small bundle in her arms.

"You can do it," said Clint.

Natasha nodded and sighed. "For Valerie," she said.

"For Valerie," said Clint.

Natasha walked forward with Clint following. He kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I'll knock," Clint said.

He knocked on the apartment door a few times.

A tall, blonde woman answered it. "Hey guys," she greeted.

That woman was Jessica Frost, ex S.H.I.E.L.D agent. After a severe hip injury she had in a mission, she retired early after serving in SHIELD for seven years. At 26-years-old, she wasn't too young or too old to appear in a new neighborhood with a one-month-old baby.

Afterall, many years of knowing and saving each others lives, she remains a close friend of both Natasha and Clint. Not only that...

She was also the now new guardian of their newborn daughter, Valerie.

"Hey," replied Clint. Natasha nodded in greeting.

"Come in," said Jessica, opening the door wider.

The agents entered. Natasha was still tense, her face neutral and posture straight. Valerie was sound asleep.

"How is it going?" asked Jessica.

"Good," said Clint.

"Good," said Natasha. She was completely against leaving Valerie with Jessica. It was not that she didn't trust her; she completely did. Jessica was one of the few agents other than Clint that she completely trusted.

Sounds very odd for the Black Widow to trust someone, but Jessica had saved her life more than a couple of times in desperate situations when Clint wasn't available. She was their moral support and never turned their back on them.

When a mission needed three people, they were the one to call. Clint and Natasha were the defense and Jessica was what SHIELD called 'karate geek'. She was a hacker and skilled karate fighter. Some missions required a knockout of the security firewalls and she was the one to punch 'em out.

Of course, that all changed one mission that had Jessica turning in her occupation as a SHIELD agent. It was all on good terms and she didn't mind. Besides, who could be running and fighting while limping the entire way? Although the agents of SHIELD were really neutral about it and understood the reasons why, they still missed their karate geek.

Not only did Jessica bring many hacking skills that were necessary to SHIELD, she also brought a little bit of spunk to SHIELD. Diligent and dedicated to her job, she was friendly to the agents and very outgoing. She had a passion for taking care of children and had babysat Phil Coulson's nieces and nephews multiple times. People could tell right away that she was going to be a great parent.

Complete opposite of Natasha.

When she had found out about her pregnancy, she wanted to abort. She was an assassin, not a mother. The Black Widow could never be a mother. She had taken too many lives...But the mere fact that she was going to be carrying one into the world for nine months was too much to handle. Clint fortunately talked her into keeping it. He didn't want his partner to end a life that hasn't even begun living in the real world. The fact that he contributed to that life...

Although Natasha had remained neutral on the outside, she began loving the baby over the course of nine months. It brought her joy, seeing the bump grow slowly. Clint was feeling happy in the inside and slowly began showing it. He was going to be a father. And he swore to be the best father there was.

But now, in order to keep the baby safe, she had, reluctantly, given the guardianship to Jessica.

"I'll be sending both of you emails of updates of how Valerie is doing. You'll be able to visit any time; as family friends," said Jessica.

"I'll be 'working in Florida', so my visits won't be that frequent," said Clint.

"How about you Natasha?" asked Jessica.

"I guess college friend," she said, her voice neutral.

"That will work," said Jessica. "I'll be moving into a new house in a couple of weeks so it won't look out of place that I have a baby."

"That will work," said Clint.

"Does the Director know about..."

"Yes. He's fully aware," said Clint.

"Good. I don't want you two to be in trouble," said Jessica with a sigh of relief.

"He was angry, but after I told him what I had told you, he cooled down. Surprisingly," he looked over at Natasha. "We didn't get fired, but Nat was under house arrest for eight months," he said with a small smile.

Natasha rolled her eyes. It was true; she was under house arrest. For eight months. But Clint wasn't the only one who suffered; he was the one going to midnight trips to the 24 hour super market around the corner for her cravings.

"Yes, but who was the one going to the store at 2 in the morning?" asked Natasha with a small smirk.

At those memories, Clint chuckled a bit and gently rubbed Valerie's head.

"Yeah, all for this little guy," said Clint.

"Girl," corrected Natasha.

"All for this little girl," said Clint.

Jessica smiled at the parents. "She looks like Clint," she said.

"Everyone says that," sighed Clint. "The doctor, the nurse, Fury, Coulson, you, Natasha," he looked over at Natasha. "I still don't see the resemblance," he said with a shrug.

"Don't deny the truth," said Natasha with a tiny smile.

"She doesn't look like me at all," said Clint stubbornly.

"She does, Clint Barton, don't deny it," said Natasha, looking down at Valerie. She, along with the said people in the stubborn archer's statement, all spoke the truth. Valerie had Clint's eyes and the same color of his hair. Ironic, since Clint named Valerie after the Zutons song and the song sang of someone with ginger hair.

"Do you have the crib ready?" asked Clint, changing the subject.

"For now, she'll be sleeping in the small portable crib in my room. But once we move in the new house, I'll set the real thing up," said Jessica.

If you squinted a little bit, you could tell see tiny similarities between Jessica and Valerie. It was all a coincidence, of course. Valerie was Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton's daughter. Although the 'records' didn't say that, it was all true.

"Do you need any of the essentials?" asked Clint.

"Nope. I have them all. Want to see?" asked Jessica.

"Sure." Clint and Natasha stood up from the couch and followed Jessica.

Jessica's small bedroom had all the boxes of the baby essentials in the corner. The temporal crib was set up by her bed and she had diapers, wipes and the daily things needed for a baby right next to it, all stacked and organized.

"I have most of the boxes over there, but once I move in, I'll have a bigger room for her. She's one month, right?" asked Jessica.

"Yep," said Clint.

"Okay. I'll have to take her to the pediatrician soon," said Jessica.

"You have no idea how grateful we are for you to be doing this," said Clint.

"No need to thank me: we're friends. Friends stick up for each other," smiled Jessica.

The smile reassured Natasha. She felt a little bit more relaxed.

But she was still a small bit reluctant of leaving her baby.

"Natasha, you'll be able to visit any time. I promise," reassured Jessica, seeing the hesitation in Natasha's face.

"Thank you, Jessica. That makes me feel a little better," said Natasha sincere.

"Same goes to you, Clint," said Jessica.

"My visits won't be that frequent, since Fury is just gonna throw a lot of missions at me, but I'll try my best," said Clint.

"I don't want you two to feel out of Valerie's life," Jessica bit her lip.

"It's alright. You're not," said Clint.

"Thank you," said Jessica with a sigh of relief.

"I guess it's time to say our farewells. We're needed in HQ at 5," Clint glanced at the clock.

"Alright. Take your time," said Jessica, leaving the couple some privacy.

Natasha handed Valerie to Clint. "I'll miss you like crazy Val," murmured Clint as he kissed the top of Valerie's head. "Be good for Jessica... I love you kiddo," he added.

"Valerie," began Natasha. Her voice shook a little bit. "I love you," she kissed the top of her head. "I love you so much..." she whispered.

She smoothed Valerie's hair. It was already beginning to curl a little bit, almost like her own.

"I promise to visit, Valerie. I promise," her eyes began to water and she blinked the tears back. No. She couldn't show emotion or tears.

"Tell Jessica that we're leaving," said Natasha to Clint.

"Will do," he turned around and went to find Jessica.

Natasha took one last look of Valerie before she walked into the hallway where Jessica was standing.

"Thank you so much for helping us," said Clint.

"I swear on my life that I will protect her. And you know I always keep my promises no matter what," said Jessica.

"Alright," said Clint.

Natasha handed Valerie to Jessica, heartbreak arriving with a full blow.

"I trust you completely Jessica... I really do," said Natasha.

"I'm glad. I am honored to take care of such a precious person for two really great friends," smiled Jessica sincerely.

"That's great. I don't want to feel like you're being forced into this," said Clint.

"I don't feel that way," said Jessica.

"Great, with that being said," Clint turned to Natasha. "We have to go," he said.

The former Russian spy nodded and gave Jessica a careful hug, not wanting to harm Valerie.

"Take care, Jessica," said Natasha.

"Same to you, Natasha," replied Jessica.

"Goodbye."

The couple left and went into the car. Natasha sat in the driver's seat. She reached into her pocket for the keys but as she was about to turn the car on, she dropped them.

"Nat?" asked Clint.

"I don't want to leave her," tears spilled down Natasha's cheeks. "Clint..." her voice cracked. She leaned her head on the steering wheel. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this," she rarely cried. Last time she cried was when Valerie was born and that was because of the pain going into labor and giving birth gave.

She did such a hard work of carrying a child inside her, but now, instead of feeling relief, she felt regret.

"Oh Nat..." Clint reached over and brought Natasha in a comforting hug. "It's going to be alright," he said softly, wiping her tears away.

"I hope so," said Natasha with a small sniffle. "I really do."

* * *

**A/N: My shot at Clintasha agnst. I'm serious. It's starts off pretty slowly, but it get's better. I think I might have made Natasha and Clint a little OOC.**

**So...that's the Prologue. I've had this idea in my mind for MONTHS, since I saw the Avengers in May and unlike many fellow fans who have seen it over five times and honestly deserve a Grammy/Academy/Oscar/Emmy, I'm stuck here, looking at gifs and stuffing my face in with frozen yoghurt and having all these feels that sometimes gifs cannot express. DX**

**I know, there are a lot of fics of Natasha being the mom and Clint being the baby's dad, but I decided to take it from a different point of view. And in the films, she was with SHIELD for a short while during Iron Man 2. But this is fanfiction, so she and Clint have been in SHIELD for about, meh, five years. Is that legit? Ok. :3**

**Thanks a billion for reading! Review if you'd like to! :)  
I will quote fellow author LexiBlaze...**_**  
Readers Assemble!**_  
**~Esmeralda**


	2. Typical Saturday Morning

_**A/N: Hi guys! Thank you for the reviews. It doesn't matter that I only got two. You guys still made me happy with the alerts and favs. :) i just returned from a trip, losing my voice. It was still a fun trip. :3 *mumbles* but I still don't like sounding like Darth Vader when I say excuse me... Anyways! Disclaimer is the same, enjoy!**_

* * *

Chapter Two: Typical Saturday Morning

* * *

"Don't make me say this one more time, Valerie. Go clean your room."

"But Mooooom."

"No ifs ands or buts. You need to clean or else no birthday party."

"But-"

"For the lord's sake, Valerie Frost, it's only your room!"

"It's still too much work!"

It was a typical Saturday morning in New York.

Well, in the Frost residence it was.

"Your room is your only resposibility!"

Valerie Frost huffed and crossed her arms. She leaned against the grey door leading to the garage. Cleaning days weren't her favorite part of the week. Or month. Or year. She would rather do anything, [scrub the floors, clean the windows, dust the bookshelves and that's saying something] than clean her room.

"I still don't like it," she replied.

As the years went and came, Valerie grew, looking more like her biological parents each day. If it weren't for the few triats that Valerie had coincidentally in common with Jessica, people would have raised some suspicions. Valerie's dirty blonde curly hair was way more different than Jessica's blonde straight hair. Jessica's sky blue eyes were different than Valerie's hazel green. They looked like two people that could never be related overall.

"Mom, you do realize that turning seven is really really important?" Valerie glanced at her mother. Well, "mother". She wasn't aware of the story of who her real mother was. If people saw them together, they would often mistake her as a babysitter, which in a way they were correct.

"Is it so important that you don't want to clean your room?" asked Jessica.

"Yes."

Jessica groaned. "Why must you make your old mother do all the work?" she asked.

"Whatever mom. You're not old."

"Honey, I'm 33. At my age, I'm not exactly the youngest mom on the block."

"Mom, you're not old," said Valerie.

"You know what would make your mom feel better?"

"What?"

"You cleaning your room."

Valerie processed the information and groaned. "Really mom? Guilt trick?" she asked.

"Just go clean your room, shortie," laughed Jessica.

"Fine..."

* * *

_Dear Nat,  
Hey! How's it going? Wow, it's been a while huh? Guess what? Valerie just took her first steps! It was amazing! I got the chance to record it on my phone. :D Kodak moment! Hope you're doing well! -Jessica_

_Dear Nat,  
Rough week. Valerie's got a cold. She's feeling a little better, but she's still sick. I'm starting to get worried. Somehow, after she got home from the park, she started to cough really hard later on that night. I'm taking her to the doctor tomorrow, since the clinic is closed on Sundays. Don't worry, it's the flu for sure. I hope you're doing well-Jessica_

_Dear Nat,  
It was the flu. She's all good now. By all good, I mean having races with the neighbors and winning like they owed her money. She's like a mini Clint... The speed, the hair, the eyes (no matter how much he denies it, it's still true) and the wit. And she has your agility, beauty and graceful-ness. Definelty your daughter. :) Not only that...she's starting to love soccer. Mind. Blown. Tell Clint that if he wants to get her into archery, may the odds be in his favor. Because she already loves soccer. That was unexpected!_

Natasha Romanoff smiled as she scrolled through the emails. It wasn't the same; reading updates about her own daughter when her friend was raising her. But it was better than nothing.

Natasha felt a warm pair of arms wrap around her.

"Hey."

She smiled a little bit and turned to Clint Barton. "Hi."

"Updates?"

"Re-reading them," replied Natasha. She often did that. Just re-reading updates for hours on end. Clint read them, but not as often as she did.

"You can visit her, y'know?" said Clint.

"Yeah... But Fury is sending me somewhere to take down a drug lord."

"And I'm being sent to a base to protect whatev er they are doing," Clint rested his chin on her shoulder and gently gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Her birthday is coming up," said Natasha.

"Could you go for me? It's in two weeks... I'm being sent over there for a month," Clint looked at Natasha.

Natasha turned around. "Of course. If Fury doesn't send me on a ridicilous mission," she replied. It was true. Natasha was often being sent on missions that really didn't make sense. She recently had to pose as Tony Stark's assistant. What was the point? Everyone knew he was Iron Man.

"Thanks Nat."

"No problem," Natasha said looking at the computer screen.

"I'll never hear the end of this from Val..." Clint sighed.

Natasha chuckled. "I'll tell her you got sent to Spain. That's the only place you haven't been sent anyways."

"Actually, thanksgiving of 2009. Got sent to Marruecos. You spent it with Val and Jessica."

"Close enough," said Natasha.

Clint bit his lip. "I don't like this; lying to her. She's going to have to know one day," he said.

"That her true parents are master assasins?"

Clint sighed. Natasha loved Valerie, but whenever the subject of telling Valerie the truth came up, she would always say no. But like he said, she was going to have to know one day. He just hoped when she did, she wouldn't get mad at them for lying.

"Honey, you can go and spend time with her. You have the right," Clint let got of her.

"I know."

"Well, I'll be leaving," Clint began looking for his bow.

Clint Barton was dressed in his 'mission clothes' which consisted of black pants and a black bulletproof vest. His quiver filled with arrows was on his back, ready for action.

The couple lived together, as they had been for years. They didn't show affection outside, as being in a relationship was against the rules. Although they didn't show any hints of affection during the job, that still didn't help the raising suspicions of the other agents.

"Be careful," said Natasha

"When have I ever not been careful?

Natasha smirked. "Well..."

Clint chuckled. "Don't remind me..."

"Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't."

Clint found his bow on the couch and strapped it on his back.

"I'm leaving," said Clint. He leaned over and gave Natasha a quick kiss.

"Good luck," Natasha smiled.

"Thanks." Clint smiled and got into the car that was waiting for him outside.

Natasha returned to the computer and continued reading. But inside, she was feeling lonely. She was used to Clint leaving for missions since they were both agents, but she still couldn't help but feel lonely. She never showed loneliness to the public, or anyone, but when she felt alone, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

Her phone vibrated next to her and she saw the caller ID.

_Jessica._

"Hello?"

"Nat~!" Jessica's voice was bright and enthusiastic. Another difference from Natasha's neutral tone.

"Hey," Natasha smiled a little bit. Although sometimes Jessica's optimism annoyed her, her not used to so much happiness, she couldn't help but smile. Jessica often got excited talking to her about Valerie and that always cheered up Natasha.

Of course, it wasn't that easy.

Being wanted dead by many others around the world, Natasha had to keep her biggest secret in the darkest shadows in order to ensure Valerie's safety. No one, except for her, Jessica, Coulson, Fury and obviously Clint, knew about Valerie. To the world, Valerie was the daughter of Jessica Frost, pedritician at the clinic in downtown Manhattan.

"Natasha Romanoff! Are you deaf?" exclaimed Jessica.

Natasha blinked at the sudden outburst. "Oh. Sorry. I was lost in thought..."

"You've been thinking too much, Nat. What's wrong?" asked Jessica.

"Nothing, nothing... Just feeling a little down..."

"Oh my gosh, Nat, if it's me, I'm sorry. Knowing how dumb I can be, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm-"

Natasha chuckled. Jessica may seem like the most confident person in the world; but in reality she is the biggest nervous wreck in the universe.

"No, no, it's not that. You've been nothing but a miracle worker. Don't worry about it," Natasha replied.

"Nat, saying that to not worry about it makes me worry. Please tell me what's wrong," said Jessica.

Jessica didn't know her as much as Clint did. He knew her like the back of his hand, for the most part. Jessica knew Natasha's biggest secret; Valerie. But that didn't mean that she knew everything else Natasha hid from the world.

"I just feel a little lonely, that's all."

_Not a lie, but not the truth either._

"Mission?" asked Jessica.

"Yes."

"Y'know, you can come right over. I'm just trying to get Val to clean her room," said Jessica. "Because it's for her own good," she added loud enough for Valerie to hear.

"I don't want to!" exclaimed Valerie.

"Hush and clean or else no birthday party."

"Fine! Fine! I'm cleaning!" Valerie ran up the stairs and began cleaning.

"Kids," chuckled Jessica.

"You don't even have to tell me..." Natasha mumbled.

"Everything alright in SHIELD?" asked Jessica.

"Don't remind me..." shuddered Natasha.

The past couple of months have been absolutely chaotic for the agents and SHIELD overall. Reports from all over the world had been going in like crazy. A strange hammer appearing in New Mexico. A man who claimed to be a Norse demigod and turned out to be correct. Tony Stark declaring to be Iron Man to the world, effectively putting him in the open of many enemies. Bruce Banner suddenly going MIA after his other form caused havoc in Harlem. And a legendary hero from 77 years ago thought to be dead found in ice.

"That bad?" asked Jessica.

"Not even the beginning..." sighed Natasha.

"Give me an idea of the chaos."

"Reports coming in from all over the world of things that can't be believed."

"Every day?"

"Yes."

Jessica whistled. "My lord, you guys need a break. Too much chaos is going to affect you one day."

"Hey, you used to work here and the chaos is normal. Besdies, we're pretty much used to it," said Natasha.

"True. SHIELD has always been a place where you can deal with gamma radiated people and still drink coffee like it's nothing big."

"That sums up a typical work day."

"Indeed."

On the other side of the phone, there was a small shout. "Doorbell!" shouted Valerie.

"Coming!" called out Jessica. "Gotta go. Take care Nat," said Jessica.

"Same to you," said Natasha, hanging up.

Chats like that made her day a little brighter

* * *

Jessica hung up and went over to the window. Once she saw the visitor, she looked over at Valerie.

"Val, go to the den and don't get out of there until I tell you to," said Jessica.

Valerie was dragging the vacuum cleaner up the stairs when Jessica turned. "Huh? Why?" she asked with a frown.

"Just go and I'll explain later," said Jessica.

"What about my room?" asked Valerie.

"Later."

At the sound of that, Valerie dropped the vacuum cleaner and left it on the steps and ran up the stairs, shutting the door to the den.

But of course, every kid is curious.

Valerie opened the door as quietly as she could and leaned against the wall. The thing about her home that she always liked was that the walls were almost as if they were made just for eavesdropping.

"Hello, can I help you?" asked Jessica. Then she gasped. "Phil!"

"Hey Jessica." a man's voice replied. It didn't sound as young as Jessica's voice. Maybe many years older.

"What brings you here?" asked Jessica.

"I was on my way to HQ and decided to stop by and say hi."

_HQ?_

"I heard it's been complete chaos over there for a while," said Jessica.

"Yes it has," he sighed. "And guess who's going to have to write reports on everything that has been happening?" he added.

Jessica laughed. "Sucks for you."

_Reports? Chaos? What the heck are they talking about?_

"How's Valerie?" asked the man.

"Great. A bit lazy about cleaning though," chuckled Jessica.

_How does he know me? Could it be Mr. Grandy? No, I'm pretty sure his first name is 'Mr.'... And that he still hates me for sneaking into his yard to get my soccer ball and killing his gnomes._

"Kids these days," said the man.

"Yep. They're pretty strange."

_I'm pretty strange? Says the person who collects porcelain dolls..._

"Well, off to pure chaos."

"Take care Phil. Tell everyone I say hi."

"Will do."

The door shut.

"Val, you can come out now!"

Valerie jumped. She's skilled when it comes to listening and has sharp hearing, but for some reason, she was the jumpiest out of her friends.

"Kay!"

She walked down the stairs and picked up the vacuum. "Who was that?" she asked casually.

"Friend from work."

_Pretty sure the clinic is reffered a clinic, not HQ..._

"Oh, okay."

"Is salad good for lunch later?" asked Jessica, changing the subject.

"Sure."

_She's lying._

Looks like it wasn't a typical Saturday morning after all...

* * *

_**A/N: Corny ending, I know, but I needed to update this. Like, all throughout the trip, I was like, 'need to update. need to update' and the Clintasha is the result of my feels after scrolling down the Clintasha tag on tumblr. The SHIELD being completely chaotic thing comes from this post on tumblr that I just had to include in here. Gah. Tumblr. You make the fangirl in me so happeh. ;_; I think I need to seriously start shopping for school supplies. Fandom themed. Oh yeah. Oh and the soccer part was completely improvised. Sooo, I just there it in there. :D How's that?**_  
_**Weeeell, thanks for reading! Review!**_  
_**~Esme**_


	3. Soccer Stars Play Hard

**A/N: Hey guys! -is pimpslapped by fanfic muses for not updating- Sorry for the delay. XP. Disclaimer is the same, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Three: Soccer Stars Play Hard

* * *

The rest of the week went by pretty quickly.

Valerie's schedule was sort of the same too. School, eat, play soccer, sleep.

So short, yet so simple...

She wouldn't change it for the world.

Her face was flushed, hair sticking to her forehead from sweat as she kicked off her cleats to enter the house. Her clothes were a little bit muddy, but she didn't mind. She played soccer with the neighbor's boys, both her age and equally intense with soccer. Some curls were sticking out with the humidity.

"Mom, can you make me a sandwich?" she asked, scrimmaging through the refrigerator for a water bottle.

She didn't notice the two SHIELD agents sitting next to Jessica in the kitchen table.

"Not now Val," said Jessica.

Valerie turned around, a bit surprised to see the two agents. Of course, they were wearing civilian clothes.

"Um..." Valerie pointed to the agents. "Who are they?"

"Old friends of mine," said Jessica.

Valerie frowned, a bit confused.

Then it hit her.

One of them was the same man from last week.

"Um..." Valerie looked down at her socks, unsure of what to do. She was the most daring of her friends, but right now, she was unsure what to do.

"Val, how about you go on ahead and get a ice pop? You were playing hard outside."

Valerie brightened. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Thanks!" Valerie shut the refrigerator door shut and got the ice pop, blueberry flavor. It was her favorite after all.

* * *

_She has his eye color._

Inside the small kitchen, Maria Hill was watching Valerie play soccer outside. One thing that caught her attention right away was her attitude. She was competitive. But wasn't exactly graceful. [Her muddy clothes explained it all too well.] But then again, who doesn't get muddy in soccer?

Her hair was curly and tangled. But at the state Valerie was outside, she could tell she didn't really care.

She taunted, she kicked, she defended. She was playing it hardcore.

No matter how much she thought about it, she still couldn't believe Clint had a daughter. She has to give him props for keeping a secret as big as that for so long.

And he keeps them well hidden.

"How old is she?" asked Maria.

"She's turning seven in a few days," replied Jessica. "She's been really excited about her birthday. Not sure why though."

"What kid would not be excited about her birthday?" asked Phil.

"That is true," replied Jessica.

Maria thought about how the Director told her about Valerie. It was out of the blue almost. She was writing a few reports of the new recruit's progress and the Director called her into his office. Once the door was shut and locked, he told her the news;

"Barton has a six year old daughter."

He explained further details; why he was keeping the secret, who Valerie was, everything except the identity of the biological mother.

Maria knew that was a silent message to not ponder. When Fury tells her something he wants to know, he says it. So when he leaves out a detail, she knew not to ponder.

But that still couldn't stop her curiosity.

Who could be Valerie's mother? Another agent? A civilian? It wasn't Jessica for sure. Fury already told her that, and even Jessica herself confirmed it.

She could find out who Valerie's biological mother was. She could go to the bottom of this and find out who she was, where she lived, and why she kept it a secret. But she decided not to.

Clint and Maria didn't get along so well at first. Didn't look at each other eye to eye, not agreeing on some things, that sort of thing. But she had to admit; he was one of the best agents SHIELD has ever had.

An enemy had invaded SHIELD a few years back. Completely surrounded by smoke, she was blinded and a enemy almost shot her. Luckily, before they could shoot, Clint had shot an arrow and saved her.

Ever since then, they had a mutual understanding and she had respected him.

As much as the curioisty tempted her, she decided to not ponder.

"So, Fury let you in the secret," said Jessica.

"You could say," said Maria with a slight shrug.

"What led him to tell him to letting you in?" asked Jessica.

"I'm not sure," shrugged Maria. "Fury has his reasons," she added.

"Clint probably told him to tell you," shrugged Phil.

"Most likely," said Jessica, sipping from her coffee. "Is SHIELD still a complete chaotic mess?" she asked.

Both Maria and Phil sighed. "You have no idea..."

Jessica chuckled. "It's a miracle New York is still in one piece. Too many crazy things happen at once," she said, both sincere and unsurprised.

"Not even a native New Yorker and you know how to deal with this," said Phil with a small chuckle.

"Georgia all the way," grinned Jessica.

Maria chuckled. Jessica wasn't from New York, like many other agents. But she

Suddenly, Maria's phone began beeping loudly. It was the ringtone only used for 'you-better-get-over-here-now' calls.

And those calls meant business.

"Excuse me," Maria stood up and went outside into the backyard.

* * *

"What is it?" she answered.

_"It's time."_

"On my way."

* * *

Maria hung up and went inside.

"It's been great seeing you again, Jessica, but I have to go," Maria picked up her coat.

"That's cool. See you later Maria," waved Jessica.

In the other room, Valerie laid lazily, eating the ice pop and watching a re-run of Phineas and Ferb. She saw Maria walk across the room and to the door.

"Bye Valerie," waved Maria.

Valerie frowned. How did she know her name? But she waved back. "Bye...lady," she replied.

Maria smiled a little bit and left.

Valerie froze for a second.

What just happened?

After thinking about it for a little bit, she shrugged and continued watching Phineas and Ferb.

* * *

**A/N: SO SORRY FOR THE HIATUS. -facedesk- More will be explained next chapter. Thanks for reading! Reviews are REALLY appreciated! :D**  
**-Esme**


	4. The Harlem Incident

**A/N: Oh my glob you guys. I am blown away with the reception of last chapter. So much I got my lazy self to write another chapter. And I felt like I owed you guys after the feedback from last chapters. HOLY TARDIS YOU GUYS. I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!**

**I will thank the following people [everyone]:**

**niki lane, blueoctober, Freespirit127, jeps, BeautifulLittleLiar195, orderofphoenix, MikaBee2434LOVE, Sarcastic Musician, jessiekatexox, TheMostRandomOfRandomWriters , Lunar Nightshade, D|B 1313, fanboyReader, Mitododeira, AlexisRomanoff-Barton, 16, IaMcHrIsSi, jenni10121, Operating Under a Codename, Sonia9, TWD, books and candy, cloudy-raindrops, eli10jj23, Redraven274 and Annabeth-Kahlan-Alanna-Cara for following! :D **

**AND AlexisRomanoff Barton, imaninja41, plead just to no, Lollypops101, NaviRebel16, Rosabelmay, MikaBe2434LOVE, orderofphoniex and jenni10121 for faving!**

**AND imaninja41 and 16 for reviewing!**

****Filler chapter, has nothing to do with plotline, just something that popped in my head. And my headcanon was that Tony paid for the damages done in Harlem. Shhh, my fanfic, my headcanon.*****

**Disclaimer is the same, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Four: The Harlem Incident

* * *

"Oh God."

Those were the two words Clint could say after staring at the news clipping on his desk.

_A strange creature wreaks havoc in Harlem._

Harlem.

The same city of Harlem that Valerie and Jessica went to visit every weekend.

Clint froze for a minute.

_Harlem._

Natasha was walking back from the small apartment kitchen, tired from a day of working at SHIELD.

"Clint?" asked Natasha.

"Oh God."

"Clint, what's wrong?" asked Natasha.

"Harlem, Nat. Harlem!" replied Clint.

"What about Harlem?" asked Natasha.

"Val and Jessica go to Harlem every weekend."

"Oh God."

There was a few seconds of silence before they both began searching for their phones.

"Where's my phone?" asked Clint.

"I'm already calling them," Natasha pulled out her phone and began dialing. "Jessica?"

"Nat!"

"Are you guys okay?" asked Natasha.

"Yes, we're okay. Val..."

"What about Valerie? Is she hurt?"

"We're both fine. She's just a bit...angry," replied Jessica.

Natasha frowned. "How?" she asked.

"That creature kinda wrecked her favorite soccer center. And Tony Stark's on the news."

Natasha walked over to the television set and turned it on. "I don't understan-oh."

_"Tony Stark only after months of confirming he is Iron Man announces to pay for damages done by the creature."_

On-screen, paparazzi were following Tony as he was entering a black car.

Natasha sighed in relief.

"Why is Valerie so angry about it?" she asked.

_"She hates Tony. He bought the field she always played soccer in for a new Station or something a few months back," said Jessica._

"Of course he would," mumbled Natasha.

_"Hm?" asked Jessica._

"Nothing. Are you home?" asked Natasha.

_"Yes."_

"And Val?"

_"Val's too busy fuming at the television," said Jessica with a chuckle._

"She'll get over it," shrugged Natasha.

_"She always does."_

"Yep."

_"Alright, I have to leave you. Oven's dinging," said Jessica._

"Alright, bye."

Natasha hung up and laid on the couch with a sigh of relief.

"Are they okay?" asked Clint, slightly panicked.

"Calm down Clint, they're both okay. They were on the other side of Harlem when that happened," said Natasha calmly.

"Far away from that thing, right?" asked Clint.

"Yes. Far away from it."

Clint sighed of relief. "Thank God," he whispered as he sat down in the arm chair.

Natasha sighed again, already beginning to fall asleep with the silence...

Until a sharp beep from Clint's pocket rang out.

"Hello?" he answered.

A few seconds of talking and he let out a silent groan.

"On my way."

He hung up.

"What is it?" asked Natasha.

"Guess who is needed at SHIELD to investigate this mess?"

Natasha couldn't help but hide her smirk as Clint mumbled to himself and began looking for his jacket.

"All I wanted was a cup of coffee..." he mumbled and slipped outside the door.

* * *

**A/N: totally random ending, but I'm doing a project on Starbucks, so that popped in my head. XD This was so filler... and short. -headdesk- Sorry! I am falling asleep as we speak. but the next chapter will be back to the plot and at least 1,000 words! I promise! Thank you so much for reading!  
Review!  
-Esmeralda**


	5. Birthday

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took so long. This one is over a 1,000 words. And it includes Steve! [Sorta] :D Oh and thanks for faving. reviewing and following! I love reviews, especially long ones. God, I love long ones so much. I read them and it brings the biggest smile to my face. Don't be afraid to review! Leave a review please! I would love it so much! It always makes my day to see a notification from FF whenever I get home from a loooong rehearsal.  
Like I said before, I'm on backstage crew for the school musical and I love it! But it's set is heavier than it looks like. I'm having a lot of fun though, and theater people are AWESOME! Even though sometimes it seems like the beginning of a Supernatural episode. I'm not kidding. It can get scary. No... it can get horrifying. [o-o] But I don't mind~ I've watched PLENTY of Supernatural to know how to deal with creepy things. XD**

**Disclaimer is the same, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Five: Birthday

* * *

_"Barton."_

"Yes sir?" asked Clint.

_"Agent Hill knows about it."_

It took a short while for Clint to understand what Nick meant.

_Maria knows about what?_

"Sir?" asked Clint.

_"She is aware of your situation."_

…

_Oh._

"Understood."

So now Maria was in the big secret...

It made sense for Maria to be aware. But still, Clint felt a little exposed. I mean, other than his relationship with Natasha, his biggest secret was Valerie. It . Possibly one of the most well kept secrets Clint has ever had. [After almost seven years]. She was Fury's right hand and she deserved to know.

"Anything else?" asked Clint.

_"No."_

"Alright."

Nick Fury hung up.

All SHIELD phone calls were recorded which is why Nick couldn't exactly tell Clint what he meant. That made sense.  
He watched the project going on down from his 'nest'. Well, it was a balcony, totally different. But the nickname was already settled among the researchers here, so what the hell?

He also noticed that the researchers called him Hawkeye, not Agent Barton. It makes sense, since it was his codename. Other than Selvig, he was surrounded by complete strangers. And until today, he didn't know what was going on.

Turns out a major power source knows as the Tesseract "The Cube'' was discovered buried in the ocean. One that was being wanted desperately in the World War 2. At first he didn't understand what was the big deal about it... Until he saw how much power it could have and how easily it could be used against the world.

Speaking of World War 2, he wondered how the 'man out of time' was doing. Must suck waking up after 70 years to see the entire world change.

He observed the activity going on beneath. People were talking, studying notes, writing notes, or fetching coffee. Coffee was a necessary thing here. Like, very necessary. [More like a rule...] They also had a packet of sugar with them everywhere. Sweet coffee tastes disgusting in his opinion. He liked his coffee decaf, strong and unsweet. Kept him awake during missions.

He looked at his watch, 9:49 PM. Still in New York time. Valerie would be asleep right now... Or watching a soccer game. Tomorrow is her birthday. He's gotta make it up for her somehow. Natasha wasn't able to make it. He did the math in his head and saw that also. It was almost as if Nick Fury was sending off to missions on purpose, just to see if they could cope being away from her.

Yeah, he was probably doing that. He still wasn't over having one of the best agents under house arrest for eight months.

He saw someone enter the area.

Maria Hill.

She spotted him across the area and nodded in greeting. He nodded back.

Clint and Maria didn't get along at first. Hell, they weren't even on speaking terms back then. But now, they held respect for each other. A respect Clint was still processing through his mind.

Behind her, he saw Nick Fury enter.

_Ok, this is just got serious._

If there was one thing Clint learned about Nick and Maria entering, it's that whatever was going on just got serious.

* * *

The next day

* * *

"Birthday girl!"

Valerie smiled as she saw Jessica approach her in a hug after school was over. All during the day, people were wishing her a happy birthday, hugging, pinning dollars onto her shirt or pinching her seven times on the shoulder. It was almost a tradition.

"Ready to go eat out?" asked Jessica.

"Yeah!"

They parked the car at the house and walked from the house to a nice outdoor restaraunt.

Valerie loved this place except for one thing.

It was right in front of Stark Industries.

"Mom, why?"

"Because the food is good."

"But why?!" she pointed to Stark Industries.

Jessica sighed. "Tony is not as bad as you think," she replied.

"He's worse," mumbled Valerie."Why does he exist?!"

"Honey, you can ask Howard Stark why Tony was born. Now eat."

Valerie sighed and looked down at her food. She doesn't know much about Tony to be honest. All she knows is that he's a billionaire and a playboy.

But if he was a billionaire, why did he choose to have a R&D Station on her soccer field?

"Oh hello there handsome!~" whistled Jessica.

Valerie looked up confused. Did her mother just call someone handsome?

"Mom?" asked Valerie confused.

"Look at him!" Jessica pointed to a man a few tables away from him. "Wow! I've never seen him around."

"Mom! Don't point!" Valerie exclaimed and pulled Jessica's arm down.

Jessica was pointing to a man sitting at a table a few yards away. He was looking up at the tower with curiosity. He wore a brown leather jacket and his hair was slicked back. Shirt tucked in, nice appearance, and such.

"I assume he's new here," said Jessica. "And he's kinda cute."

"Mom!"

"Okay honey, I'm done. Sorry, sorry."

"Quit staring at his butt."

"I'm not staring at him," said Jessica with a laugh.

Valerie rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Sassy mouth," Jessica lightly tapped Valerie's mouth.

"Hey!"

"Apologize."

"But you're sassy!"

"That's because I'm an adult and therefore I have the right to be sassy. Now shut up and eat your food. It's your birthday," Jessica pointed to Valerie's plate with her fork.

"Speaking of birthday, will Dad be able to come?" asked Valerie.

…

Jessica bit her lip. She was dreading this. "I'm sorry, honey. He got hung up on some business down in Florida..."

"And Nat?"

"Errands."

Valerie frowned and looked down at her plate.

"But hey, we're going to have the Gilberts over for dinner," said Jessica with a small smile.

Valerie bit a meatball.

"Honey, your dad will make it up for you. I promise. And you know about me and my promises..."

She looked up."You never break them."

"That's the spirit! Now..." Jessica pulled out her phone. "Smile for a pic?" she asked.

Valerie smiled. "Alright!"

"Say cheese!"

* * *

**A/N: Corny ending, I know. But the thing is that corny is cute, sometimes. Especially in rehearsals. We are a big ball of happiness, affection and laughter. :) And dancing. We dance a lot. GOD, I LOVE REHEARSALS. The people are fantastic!  
Okay, okay, I'll stop rambling. Sorry, bad habit Well, a review is like giving someone a virtual hug. And you know how much I love hugs. [Now you do]. I'll be writing a one shot soon, not sure for which fandom yet. But still, I'll post it this weekend. Thanks for reading! Reviews are loved and really appreciated!~  
-Esmeralda**


	6. The Blue Light

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for the reviews! Just to clear this up, Valerie knows Clint is her dad, except she doesn't know what his real job is. And she thinks Jessica is her mom and Nat is a family friend. For the ones who asked or wondered c:**  
**Thanks to Blackhawk55 and JadelynDeath for following! And Guest, imaninja41, Lollypops101, AlexisRomanoff-Barton and ericaphoenix16 for reviewing! Y'all are awesome!**  
**I feel horrible for writing a certain part of this chapter. It's my post Doctor Who angst coming out. I am so sorry. -sobs in corner- Amy, Rory, nooooo! Post Pond Depression, you guys. Post Pond Depression. I blame the angst on that.**  
**Oh and I portrayed the cube in a different way here. If you guys don't mind...**

*****Warning: Death*****

**Well, disclaimer is the same, go on ahead and read!**

* * *

Chapter Six: The Blue Light

* * *

Loki walked right in front of Clint.

"You have heart."

He lifted the scepter to Clint's chest.

It was almost as if Loki could see his memories.

Of course Clint had heart. He had a kid. He was human. All humans had emotions. He didn't understand what he meant.

But then the blue light came into his brain.

It felt like a bee sting at first. Sharp and painful. Clint felt something literally shift into his brain. He could still see physically but he was no longer in control.

It was painful.

Soon the blue light had taken over his mind, except for one little part. The little part that  
witnessed everything but couldn't do anything about it.

"Sir, Director Fury is not cooperating." his own voice said out loud looking over at Loki.

The still sane part of his mind tried to retaliate, say no and to shoot an arrow straight  
through Loki's eyes. A voice that was certainly not his began bellowing.

Do you really want to risk the life of your daughter?

The voice was sly, manipulative. It was covered in vain and greed. The small part tried to locate the voice, but he couldn't do it.

Think about it, Clinton. Do you seriously want your two most precious people in the world to be hurt?

_What are you talking about?_

Natasha and Valerie. I know all about them Clinton. It would be quite a foolish move to hurt them.

_Don't you dare get near them._

Oh, I won't get near them. You will.

Clint was fighting with himself and the blue light. And he was losing.

_Whatever the hell you are, if you even dare get near my kid or girl and I will-_

You will what, Barton? Kill me? The voice laughed. Quite the father you are. Missing his own daughter's birthday. The day she was looking forward to the most to spend with her lie of a mother and pity of a father.

_Shut up._

Give up Clinton. It's no use anyway.

The blue light made Clint reload the gun and aim at Nick.

Because in the end, you'll always kneel.

* * *

"Mom, I'm going to a soccer game with Jack and Fred!" Valerie announced as she ran down the stairs.

Jessica was in the kitchen, sending the picture to Natasha and Clint. Clint wouldn't see the picture until he was done with the mission obviously, but at least it would be waiting for him.

"Is Mrs. Gilbert going to give you a lift back?" asked Jessica.

"Yeah!"

"Alright," Jessica put her phone down on the kitchen table and walked over to Valerie. "Go score some goals for me," she smiled and hugged her.

"I will," Valerie grinned.

"Bye kiddo. Love ya."

"Love you too!" Valerie waved and ran out the door.

Jessica sighed and began making dinner, knowing Valerie was going to be very hungry  
when she got home.

* * *

Half an hour later...

* * *

Jessica was half way done with the lettuce when she heard a small thud upstairs.

She stopped and looked up for a second. Was the AC screwing up again?

The thuds stopped. She shrugged and returned to making dinner.

Then the thuds continued but this time, they were going down the stairs.

That's when she got scared. She grasped the kitchen knife crept her way to the living room.

"Who's there?" she called out.

Three gunshots echoed in the house.

Jessica collapsed, gasping for air. Everything began failing at once. Her muscles, her limbs, her lungs. She couldn't fight anymore.

Her time was up.

So she closed her eyes and resigned.

* * *

"Thanks for the lift, Mrs. Gilbert!" Valerie waved at her neighbor and headed up to the door.

She was sweaty and tired, like after every soccer practice. Hair sticking out of her ponytail, grass stains on her yellow cleats and uniform, yep she was a mess.

But it wasn't a beauty pageant, so why bother?

As she neared the steps of her house, she felt something wasn't right.

Her house didn't have the welcoming feeling it always had whenever she got home. It wasn't emitting optimism like always.

She stopped on the steps and knocked on the door.

No answer.

With a small push, the door opened and she stepped in.

She didn't see this coming.

Jessica was on the floor, surrounded by a pool of her own blood. Three holes in her chest and a kitchen knife not a few inches next to her hand.

Unsure of to scream or cry, Valerie just ran up the stairs.

* * *

**A/N: You guys saw it coming. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. -headdesk- I love Jessica still. I'll write a prequel with Jessica in it. I promise. Oh and the one-shot will be up tomorrow. ****The Blue Light is my name for the tesseract entering Clint's mind and manipulating with him. And how it does is by messing with his thoughts. It's obviously Loki's voice if you guys didn't figure it out. I haven't seen a fic of the tesseract being portrayed like that, so why not?  
****Thanks for reading! Review!  
****-Esmeralda**


	7. Shattered

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews/faves/alerts/hits! :D Y'all asked for a long chapter. I split it. :3 To clear up confusion; yes, Val knows Clint is her dad. But she thinks Jessica is her mom and Nat is a family friend. I may have confused you guys, but alright. ^.^ Natasha and Clint are a couple, but Val doesn't know it.**

**And this chapter is inspired from a song called "Shattered" by Trading Yesterdays. God, that song is so sad... Yet beautiful. Hit me right in the feels.**

**Disclaimer is the same, enjoy.**

**Trigger Warning: angst, some mental manipulation/toying **

* * *

Chapter Seven: Shattered

* * *

"I hate jetlag," mumbled Natasha as she flopped down onto her bed. She got her phone off of Airplane mode and tossed it onto her bed.

"Ding! Ding!"

Natasha looked over to her phone and saw it lighting up.

Incoming call: Jessica's House Phone.

Jessica had two phones; her cell phone and her house phone. The house phone was only used for emergencies.

Let's just say Natasha kind of flipped when she answered. "Hello?"

"Nat?" Valerie gulped.

"Valerie, what's wrong?"

_"Are you home?"_

"Yes. Speak up Val!"

_"I-I-I think my mom is dead..."_

What?

"What happened?"

_"I got home from soccer and..." Valerie was crying. "I saw her on the floor, bleeding. There's too much blood! I'm scared Nat! I'm scared!"_

"Just hang in there, Val. Just hang on," Natasha was already grabbing her keys and putting on her shoes. "Where are you?"

_"My room."_

"Okay, listen to me carefully. I want you to get a change of clothes. Don't wear your cleats. I'm taking you somewhere that's safe. Stay in your room and don't get out until I tell you to, Okay?" asked Natasha as she got into her car.

_"Okay."_

"Don't panic okay?"

_"I'm really scared Nat, I'm really scared."_

"Just think of your happy place. Think of something that makes you happy."

_"Soccer?"_

"Yes. Think about it for a little bit. Don't worry, I'm on my way."

* * *

Just as Natasha began dialing Phil, she received a phone call from him.

"Phil?"

_"Agent Romanoff?"_

"Yes."

_"Barton's been compromised."_

Natasha froze.

Compromised?

"Phil?" asked Natasha.

_"Yes?"_

"Jessica's dead."

Even when she said it, she couldn't believe it.

_"What?"_

"Val just called telling me Jess got shot."

_"Natasha... are you okay?"_

"No."

Natasha was trying really hard not to cry. Like, really hard. Her friend was dead. Her daughter was scarred and sobbing. The guy she loved was compromised.

Her life was falling apart.

_"Nat, just hang in there. I'll send some agents to the scene."_

Scene. He was already calling Jessica's death a crime scene.

"I'm picking Val up,"

_"Nat-"_

"I am not leaving her. She's coming with me," said Natasha.

_"Fury's not going to be happy."_

"As long as she's not in his way, she'll be alright. Phil, I can't leave her. I only trusted Jessica. Only her."

_"Are you sure about this?"_

"Yes."

The shell of neutrality and stoic was shattering and fading. The shell she had worked so hard on perfecting. But now, it was all gone.

_"I'll let you know when I send the agents. Tell me when you have Val out of sight."_

"Alright. Thank you, Phil."

"Hang in there Nat. I've got your back."

* * *

**Manipulation. That is all you need to break a human. Manipulate with his mind. **

Are you sure it will work?

**Yes. With the cube, you can manipulate him like a child. Look at his memories. Toy with them. At this rate, he is your puppet.**

Puppet?

**Toy with him.. Mold his memories as you like. They are under your control now.**

All of them?

**Yes. Toy with them as you like.**

Well... There is a certain portion of his memories it's very hard to acess.

**Which are...**

Memories of his loved ones. I have only glimpsed a few of them. He has kept them well hidden.

**You haven't seen the full power the Tesseract can do to a mortal mind. Use it at your advantage. **

Mine?

**Yes, Loki. Use it.**

* * *

Clint flinched internally. It felt awful being toyed with. It was almost as if he could physically feel his mind being toyed around with like a box of toys.

You have heart, Clinton.

_Why are you toying with my mind?_

You have a daughter?

_Don't change the subject._

I see all the memories you have of her are kind ones.

He absolutely hated when the enemy didn't speak to him straight forward.

You had a troubled childhood.

_Does that mean anything you pompous asshole?_

I can inflict very uncomfortable memories on you Clinton.

Clint winced and felt his mind literally shift to another place. He wanted to fight. He wanted to escape. But he couldn't.

_I swear to God, if you get near my daughter or Natasha..._

I see you and Natasha have quite a bond.

_Don't get near my family._

You kill for a living Barton.

_That was in the past._

You can't let go of the past. Ever. Once I'm finished bring this pity planet to my control, you won't need to forget the past. In fact, you can bring it back.

_Never. I know you're toying with me, Loki. God of mischief... More like god of bullshit._

No need to be witty with me, Clinton. Who's the one in control of your mind and body right now?.

...

I thought so. You are my marionette, Accept it.

Clint sighed. His mind was being toyed with. Hell, his entire life was being toyed with. The thought of Natasha and Valerie safe and together was the only thing that comforted him. The three just sitting down, eating or laughing.

He's gotta get through this. For Natasha and Valerie.

But at the same time, he was losing hope.

He was a puppet on a string.

Only the puppeteer could control the puppet.

And the odds are quite literally stacked against you when the puppeteer is the Norse god of mischief.

* * *

The usual ten minute ride from Natasha's apartment took three minutes.

She lost track of how many traffic laws she most likely broke, but it didn't matter. She needed to get to Valerie, ASAP.

Once she arrived, she quickly checked for any agents. When she saw none, she stepped in.

And almost screamed.

Her friend, her former partner, the guardian of her daughter was dead.

She has seen blood before. And dead bodies also. Over the years, she has never batted an eye.

But now, she was on the verge of crying.

She walked slowly over to Jessica and choked back a sob.

"Thank you... for everything." A tear rolled down Natasha's cheek. "Thank you so much."

She touched Jessica;s forehead lightly and began darting up the stairs.

"Val?" she knocked on Valerie's door.

"Nat?"

"I'm here honey. Open the door."

Valerie opened the door and literally hugged/tackled Natasha.

"Shhh, it's okay."

"She's dead! I can't believe this!" cried Valerie.

"Come on."

Valerie stood up, She had changed out of her muddy/grass stained clothes into more comfortable and wiped her eyes.

"You're going to be okay. We're going to be okay," Natasha wiped stray tears from Valerie's face. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe."

* * *

**A/N: okay, that was a lot to write. Right in the feels man. Right in the feels. _ Well, thank you for reading! Review!  
-Esmeralda**


	8. Just cover your eyes and don't look back

**A/N: wow! 30 reviews! Blown away! :D thank you so much! Thanks to CMLUVER, From Ritz to Rubble, LaughingLadybug, zombiekiller39, Ashlinka, BloodBlackAlchemist, Dorito of Doom, KrazyForYourLUV, Shewolf-skittles-twist14 and isabellabastari for alerting/faving. And thanks to imaninja41, ericaphoenix16, iloveclintbartonakahawkeye, guest, LaughingLadybug, Dorito of Doom and Nat-CatWoman for reviewing!**

**This may have not been my best, but I tried. -And I'm falling asleep again at the laptop- I apologize!**

**Disclaimer is the same, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Eight: Just cover your eyes and don't look back

* * *

"Now what?" asked Valerie.**  
**  
"Okay, we're going downstairs and to my car."

"I don't want to see," said Valerie with a small whimper.

"Just cover your eyes and don't look back. It won't be long."

Natasha got the small backpack that was dumped on the floor.

"You go first," said Valerie pointing to the stairs.

"Alright," Natasha began walking down the stairs. "Cover your eyes Val. It'll be quick."

"I'm scared!"

Natasha stopped and walked back up the stairs.

"Okay, I'm going to carry you. Just cover your eyes."

She bent down and picked Valerie up.

It hit her.

She hasn't carried her in over two years.

She hasn't carried her own daughter for a long time until now.

"It's going to be quick."

She carried Valerie down, one arm with her bag.

She glimpsed at Jessica and bit her lip.

_Thank you for everything._

* * *

"Val, are you okay back there?" asked Natasha as she sat down and pulled her seat belt on.

"No," replied Valerie with a sniffle in the backseat.

"Just hang in there, Val."

Once they were on the road, Valerie began to fall asleep.

It had been a bad habit of hers. Falling asleep in the car only minutes after being on the road. It was almost as if the car lulled her to sleep.

She struggled to stay awake, but in the end she fell asleep.

Once she was asleep, Natasha pulled over and dialed Phil.

_"Natasha?"_

"Okay, we're out."

_"Thank you... How is she?"_

"At the moment, she's asleep. But she's still upset," said Natasha.

_"Are you still thinking about it?"_

"I have no other choice, Phil. I'm not leaving her alone with someone I don't know."

_"You know..."_

Natasha chuckled. "I'm not taking her all the way to Portland with your cellist."

_"I tried," chuckled Phil. "But Fury is going to be angry."_

"I know. I just hope he's in a tolerable mood today."

* * *

"No."

_So much for a tolerable mood._

"Director Fury-"

"A seven year old on a helicarrier? Romanoff, what on earth were you thinking?"

"Director, she has her reasons," said Phil, standing next to her.

"Why isn't she with her legal guardian?" asked Nick.

"Her guardian is a victim of a robbery. She's been murdered."

"When did this happen?"

"This afternoon."

"And where's the kid?"

"She's asleep over there."

"Listen Romanoff, that kid steps in the way and you'll pay the consequences. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

Nick Fury left.

* * *

It was silent for a few moments.

Natasha was sitting in the backseat next to Valerie and Phil sat in the passenger's seat.

"She has Clint's eyes," said Clint looking at the background of Valerie on Natasha's phone.

"He still won't admit it," Natasha smiled a bit. She pushed a bit of Valerie's hair aside.

"We will bring him back," said Phil.

"I'm worried on what Loki will do to him," said Natasha. "He's heartless."

"Clint is strong. He can handle Loki. Trust me," Phil comforted.

"About Jess... How did you know it was a robbery?" asked Natasha.

"When we sent the investigation group, all electronic appliances in her living room were missing. Her phone was in the kitchen," Phil pulled out a phone with a pale blue case. "I thought you might want to keep it."

Natasha got the phone and unlocked it.

There was a notification on the screen.

Outbox failed: Update.

_"Val's b-day was today. Had some lunch in Marty's. Fun~ She wasn't too happy with the restaurant being right in front of Stark Tower though. (Soccer Field thing, still not over it.) We had dinner with the Gilberts. Surprisingly, she didn't play soccer. It wasn't the same without you or Clint. But it's okay, I understand. Here's a pic of b-day gal Val. [Hush, I'll still make rhymes. Admit it, you love them!~"_

A picture of a smiling Valerie was in the message.

_"wishing you the best, xo Jess."_

"Natasha?"

"Her last update."

"Are you alright?" asked Phil.

"Excuse me." Natasha wiped her face again. "We'll be landing in half an hour, right?" she asked.

"Yes. Might as well wake her up."

"Alright."

Jessica's last update. The update that never made it. Natasha put the phone in her bag and zipped it shut.

It was all too soon.

Jessica's death.

Clint.

The Tesseract.

And Loki.

He was a threat bigger than anything she has ever faced before. Not only that, he had the most powerful weapon anyone in SHIELD has seen.

The Captain was correct.

_"You should have left it in the ocean."_

* * *

"Val, wake up," Natasha nudged Valerie gently.

"What?" Valerie yawned.

"We're here."

"Oh."

"Come on," said Natasha. "Let's go."

Valerie stood up and followed. "Um Nat? Where are we going?" asked Valerie.

"Well, we're going to the Helicarrier."

Valerie stopped. "The what?"

Oh right. She has absolutely no idea what's going on.

Natasha sighed. "How about I explain it to you later?" she asked.

"Okay," shrugged Valerie.

"Another thing; if you see a man with an eyepatch, get out of his way,"

Valerie frowned.

_This is getting really weird..._

She shrugged to herself and continued walking.

* * *

**A/N: Not my best, but I tried! -insert I tried star- I haven't written a chapter in a long time. School has been a pain. Too many assignments. -headdesk- I'm sorry, it will be more improved next time. Thank you for reading! Review!  
-Esmeralda **


	9. Foreign

**A/N: hey guys! Happy late Halloween! Late update, I know, but better than nothing. I had a fantastic Halloween. Plenty of candy and laughs. Oh and if you read my other Avengers fic, Life in the Avengers Household, go check out my poll! I would appreciate it!**

**Thank you so much for the alerts, faves and reviews! I just want to hug all of you and give you chocolate and Avengers plushies. -insert heart here-**

**Disclaimer is the same, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Nine: Foreign

* * *

It was foreign.

Everything was foreign.

Valerie looked around a little nervously around in the top of the hellicarrier.

How did she go from playing soccer in the backyard to a _helicarrier_?

It had all happened so fast. She had gotten home, seen...that, called Natasha and now they were on a helicopter pad.

She followed Natasha closely, making sure to stay out of the way like she was told to.

Everything was so weird.

_Everything_.

With Natasha, how she was was handling the fact that the Avengers were going to be on board and Valerie was with her was still a mystery.

"What about my dad?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" asked Natasha.

"I didn't call him. He doesn't know about...that."

It took Natasha a few seconds to comprehend that Valerie meant Jessica.

"Oh." was all Natasha could say. "Oh okay..."

"Where is he?" asked Valerie. "My mom said that he was busy in Florida, but he hasn't called."

_Florida._

Always used the Florida card.

Natasha bit her lip. "I will explain everything later."

"Everything?" Valerie asked, slightly unconvinced.

"Everything."

_Except that I'm her biological mother._

Natasha can't let her know this soon. God no. Especially only hours after Jessica has been murdered. That would just be horrible and insensitive.

"Who's the old guy with the sun glasses?" asked Valerie pointing to Phil standing in the back of the landing pad.

"Oh, that's Phil."

Phil.

That was the same man from last time.

Exact same man.

"Oh... Oh my gosh..."

"Val?" asked Natasha.

"He went to visit my mom, twice!" Valerie exclaimed. "I saw him! How?!"

Well, this was unexpected.

Sometimes when Natasha wasn't in town, Phil would check on them. He insisted. It was the least he could do.

"Oh... He knew her. Old friend."

"...Of what?" asked Valerie.

Now she was getting suspicious.

"I'll explain everything later," repeated Natasha.

"Including who that guys is?" asked Valerie, pointing to Phil with her thumb..

"Yes."

"Okay."

_Uhhh, okay? NOT OKAY! Who is he? Why is he here? What is going on?!_

Valerie's thoughts were hectic. Everything was happening way too fast.

"And what about my dad?" asked Valerie. "What are you going to tell him?"

"I'll answer everything later," sighed Natasha.

"Alright, alright," Valerie backed off a few steps. When Natasha had that tone, or sigh, she was getting impatient. And that was never good.

But she still couldn't believe everything was happening...

Her mom was dead. She couldn't call her dad. Well, more like she couldn't reach her dad.

And then there was Phil.

She didn't know who he is. Or how he knew her mom.

Then there was this thing called a Helicarrier.

What is that? Why does it have such a weird name?

_And if it was a helicopter, why was it on the sea?!_

Then there was the most troubling question of them all...

_What's going on?_

She tugged onto a curl, unsure of what exactly was going on around her.

The Helicarrier on the outside, in her opinion, looked like a very large parking lot on the ocean. There was people talking and walking around rapidly. All adults and with navy blue tight suits. Some had guns and others didn't.

"Val, follow me," motioned Natasha as she began walking inside the Helicarrier.

Valerie looked up, still tugging on her hair and followed.

If she thought that the outside of the Helicarrier was strange, she was very wrong.

She had not seen the inside.

_Whoa._

Valerie looked around in awe.

_This is so...wow._

"It'll take awhile to take in," commented Natasha.

"Whoa."

"Agent Romanoff," Nick spoke with a clearing of his throat.

"Stand back," whispered Natasha to Valerie.

Valerie scooted back and stayed near the wall.

"Director," nodded Natasha.

"Do you remember what we spoke about?" asked Nick.

"Yes sir."

"Good." He turned around and started heading to the front of the bridge.

"Val?" asked Natasha.

"Can I sit down somewhere?" asked Valerie with a little squeak, still taking everything in.

Oh dear, she's shocked.

"Yes. Let's go."

Each Avenger had their own small room in the Helicarrier. It wasn't really fancy, just a bed, dresser and a bathroom. Seeing that Valerie was not expected, or an Avenger, Natasha led her to her room. With everything going on, she isn't going to sleep much anyways.

Then it hit her.

Valerie.

On the Helicarrier.

With the Avengers.

_With the Avengers._

"Tasha, are you okay?" she asked, noticing the pale expression on Natasha's face.

"I'm okay." Natasha gulped.

_Not okay._

Great.

Just great.

She has even more to deal with than she bargained for.

* * *

**A/N: That was short, but better than nothing! Next one will be longer. And LITA [other Avengers fic] Chap 3 is being written! Wooo! Hope y'all had an AWESOME Halloween!  
Thanks for reading! Review~  
-Esmeralda **


End file.
